Aerial Splitters/boosters?

swj1

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Hi- we had a roof aerial replaced about 6 months ago to allow us to receive freeview.
As far as I can make out-we have one cable coming down one side of house to bedroom, where there is a plate and then our digibox in there. Then we have another cable coming down from roof, through front room wall where we have no plate (just this length of cable)
All worked fine when just plugged into HTPC. however we just bought a LCD with built in freeview and want to be able to have aerial into that, and into HTPC.
We have tried a one for all 4 way splitter/amplifier which reduced our available channels on htpc from 70 to 18 (when not also connected to TV) so thats going back. If we have aerial directly into TV its a good freeview picture so we have a good basic signal-I just want to know how best to connect both the TV and HTPC to the aerial for good signal quality, and if anyone can recommend something reasonably priced that works that would be great.
 
If the distance from the antenna down to the tv/pc etc is quite long, then the signal might not be strong enough (the fact that only a few channels are getting caught on the 2nd source makes me think that). So you might want to try an amplifier or booster right up next to the aerial and then the signal splitter down by the tv's.

Maplins do this: http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?TabID=1&ModuleNo=36573&doy=9m1
 
thanks, is there any way we can do it without getting up on the roof?
 
It appears that your signal downstairs is fairly weak so it would have been better to have a masthead amplifier fitted on the aerial when you had it newly fitted.

You state that you have tried a one for all four way booster. Most boosters divide the maximum signal gain four ways on a four outlet booster so as an example if the total booster gain is 16db then each outlet on a four way split will only get 4db. If it were a two outlet type then 8db could be supplied to each outlet.

Either try a high gain two outlet amplifier/booster or two boosters in line (that is one after the other)
e.g. a single outlet booster connected at the point the aerial co-ax cable enters downstairs and the output of this fed into a separate two outlet booster to feed your PC and TV. I'm not saying that the results will be perfect but it just might work.

I use two inline boosters to obtain all the freeview channels. Using just one booster I only pick up around 52 channels.

http://www.maxview.co.uk/acatalog/TV_AMPLIFIERS_&_FILTERS.html
 
Hi- we had a roof aerial replaced about 6 months ago to allow us to receive freeview.
As far as I can make out-we have one cable coming down one side of house to bedroom, where there is a plate and then our digibox in there. Then we have another cable coming down from roof, through front room wall where we have no plate (just this length of cable)
All worked fine when just plugged into HTPC. however we just bought a LCD with built in freeview and want to be able to have aerial into that, and into HTPC.
We have tried a one for all 4 way splitter/amplifier which reduced our available channels on htpc from 70 to 18 (when not also connected to TV) so thats going back. If we have aerial directly into TV its a good freeview picture so we have a good basic signal-I just want to know how best to connect both the TV and HTPC to the aerial for good signal quality, and if anyone can recommend something reasonably priced that works that would be great.

If you have no power feed units connected at either of the aerial terminating points in the house it sounds like at the aerial there is a 2 way passive splitter. Perhaps if you look up at the installation from ground level you will be able to see a small black box lashed to the mast.

If this is the case then your received signal has already been split two way and so each aerial point is already abour 4dB lower than the signal strength that you are actually receiving from the aerial. Provide the signal strength of your DVB-T signal was very high then there is no reason why another passive split shouldn't be possible.

If either your TV or HTPC has a signal strength indicator (no doubt in percentage) I suggest that you have a look on a channel on each MUX to see what the signal strength actually is. You could also look on your DIGIbox if that has a signal strength indicator. Check also to see what you signal quality is reporting (if that is possible)

If signal level is high then a simple (decent) 2 way splitter may be all that it needed. www.screwfix.com item 63654-90

Failing that it may be necessary if a passive splitter is fitted at the aerial for you to replace this with a small amplifed type and then a splitter for the TV & HTPC.

Please also note that the difference in length of cable from Roof to 1st floor room and Roof to gound floor room with make negligable difference to the losses that the cable (if good quality) will introduce to the ground floor because it is slightly longer.
 

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